


Raine Trevelyan: Blind Inquisitor

by The Bookwyrm (Amicitia)



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Blind Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-08-05
Packaged: 2018-12-05 00:24:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11566479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amicitia/pseuds/The%20Bookwyrm
Summary: The tale of Raine Trevelyan as she becomes the Inquisitor despite her shortcomings and fears.She harbours a secret that Solas only figures out at the end of the first chapter.Her character traits:- Able to fight demons- Afraid of killing mortals- Not used to fighting- Quite emotionally soft when faced with folks shouting- Blind





	1. In darkness there is light...

The skittering noise of legs resounded in her ears as Raine Trevelyan scampered across what counted as the floor. The whole place didn’t make sense and she had no idea where she was. All she knew was that danger was coming and she had to move. Every sense in her body screamed, move! Move! She didn’t know where but wherever she had to go, it was away from the horrible clicking and skittering. It was funny though, in here, she could see things clearly, clearer than things had ever been.

Ahead, a glowing figure stood with an outstretched hand towards her. Humanoid, light… her instincts told her to head towards it and she did.

 

* * *

 

The crackling of thunder awoke the young mage and she glanced towards her left hand. It wasn’t hard to not notice it, the Fade oozed from it. Her hand crackled once more, earning a soft groan from her and she pulled, only to realized that she couldn’t move her hands.  They were shackled together. It was then she noticed the presence of others… she couldn’t tell what they were doing but from their stance, it was evident that they had something pointed at her.

Her ears picked up the sound of the doors opening, the sound of metal as swords were sheathed. Someone was approaching.

“Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now…” a brash voice spoke beside her. “The conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you.”

The last sentence caused Raine to jerk up in surprise. Everyone was dead? She could hardly remember a thing. All she remembered was that she was running. The presence drew near and grabbed her hand.

“And this… explain this!” the brash voice rang out through the room.

“I... I can’t,” Raine stammered out, her voice quavering in fright, tears threatening to fall over.

“What do you mean you can’t?”

“I… I don’t know how it got there! Or what it is!” Raine said as she burst into tears at that point.

“YOU LIAR!”

Raine cringed at that point, sinking her head between her shoulders expecting a harsh reprimand in the form of a slap, or a kick, a soft whimper escaping her lips. To her surprise, it never came.

“We need her, Cassandra” a calmer voice spoke. The second voice continued.

“Do you remember what happened? How this began?”

“No… I remember voices, and then I was able to see… something. I was somewhere.” Raine sat still where she was, tears running down her cheek.

There was a sigh from the first voice. “Go to the forward camp Leliana. I will take her to the rift.”

The sounds of her manacles being unlocked were heard. An arm slipped into her side as she was helped up.

“What did happen?”

 “It… it would be easier to show you.”

Raine gripped Cassandra’s hand hard as she was led out, but the Seeker brushed her off. Cassandra could sense that the mage was using some slight magic. Nothing too overt but there was magic trickling from the mage.  She said nothing about it at this point. Even if the mage had been the cause of the explosion, it had not been intentional. She could feel the other trembling. Despite her anger, Cassandra felt sorry for her. What had she seen that made her block those memories out?

Despite the short walk, Raine stumbled as she crossed the threshold of the building. She could sense presences around, but the terrain was much harder at this point… mostly because there was a very very large presence in the skies above. She didn’t have to make it out of the house before she looked towards the direction of the Breach. Someone caught her and steadied her.

“Is that it? Is that what happened?” she asked, her voice a bare whisper. She could feel its unnatural presence, reaching out towards her through the Fade as she examined it.

“Yes. We call it ‘the Breach’. It’s a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It’s not the only such rift. Just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the Conclave. Unless we act, the Breach may grow until it swallows the world.”

Raine took a deep breath. She could feel it growing, pulsating. A surge of energy shot forth and she saw it shoot towards her. The mark flared up, earning pained cries from the woman.

“Each time the Breach expands, your mark spreads… and it is killing you,” Cassandra explained. “It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn’t much time. Someone is responsible and you’re our only suspect. If you wish to prove your innocence, this is the only way.”

The young mage nodded her head. “If I can help, I will.”

The tremble in her voice did not go unnoticed by the Seeker. The woman was afraid, terrified in fact… but willing. That was all she asked for. Cassandra reached down to help her up, guiding her towards the road that led towards the rift. There was some unsteadiness, a few missteps from Raine that gave Cassandra cause to worry. Would she die before they reach the Breach?

However, as they continued further up, Raine’s footsteps grew steadier and she moved quicker. The amount of magic trickling off her increased as well. It was suspicious but Cassandra figured that perhaps the mage was drawing upon the Fade to help her.

As they reached the gate towards the forward camp, Cassandra cut her loose. “There will be a trial, I can promise no more.”

Their progress was slow, agonizing even for Cassandra and more than once, she had to push Raine along. There was a certain level of desperation in the face of the young mage, and more than once, the Seeker worried that the other would try to run… only to recall how clumsy the girl was. She wouldn’t make it far.

“Look out!” Raine yelled before pulling Cassandra out of her thoughts, and physically to the side. Where they had been standing, a shot from the Breach landed, causing the walkway to crumble further as the two of them rolled and landed on the icy lake below. Where the piece of the Breach landed, a demon arose from it, roaring a challenge. The warrior unsheathed her blade, shield at ready.

“Stay behind me!” she cried before going forward.

Raine looked uncertain… she certainly wasn’t going to run towards danger… but in front, she could sense danger growing… creeping under the ice.  The mage backed away, giving a cry as she tripped over something… long… cylindrical. A staff…

Picking it up, Raine flew into action. She may have been a librarian but all mages were trained to fight demons… and this was nothing new… she had to defend and now she could finally see. The darkness in her vision receded as she drew upon the Fade until the demon was in view. She could feel the ice beneath her feet, how it crackled. The snow on the trees rested gently until she reached out towards them. As the demon charged towards her, Raine thrust her staff forward, pulling upon the coldness, becoming it as she wrapped it about the demon’s form. Ice formed, shattering the core of the demon, killing it. Where the demon had been, a giant icicle had formed in one breath.

Up ahead, Cassandra was finishing her demon and she turned around frowning. Her Seeker training allowed her to feel the magic Raine was using. Few mages could wield that level of magic without looking winded, and Raine stood where she was, carefully poised as she turned towards Cassandra. 

“Drop your weapon. NOW,” Cassandra commanded. The worry for the trembling girl was gone. There in front of her was a threat. One strong enough to kill a demon with one blast, let alone a mortal Seeker.

Raine dropped her staff, but the Fade was still pulsing about her. Cassandra took a deep breath as she assessed the situation. The woman was still compliant.

“I should remember that you agreed to come willingly. I cannot protect you. And I cannot expect you to be defenseless. Keep your weapon,” she said as she sheathed her blade. Raine bent down to pick up the staff.

They made better progress through the roads at this point. Raine was brimming with magic now with Cassandra’s blessing.

“This way,” Raine said suddenly as she veered to the side. There was tear in the world and she felt the Fade drawing her. It was as bright as a beacon in her vision as she made her way towards it. The sounds of demons, an automatic crossbow and a mage could be heard. The sound of steel being unsheathed behind her rang out as Cassandra charged into the scene.

With the demons gone, a presence grabbed her hand.

“Quickly, before more come through!” And then she felt someone grab her hand. Bit by bit, she felt the Fade withdraw about her as she closed the rift… and suddenly the world was a lot darker. Footsteps shuffled about her.

A male voice explained how it happened. “Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed that mark upon your hand. I theorized the mark might be able to close the rifts that have opened in the Breach’s wake, and it seems I was correct. It seems you hold the key to our salvation.”

“Good to know. Here I thought we would be ass-deep in demons forever,” a rugged voice came from the side… one that was a lot lower than what Raine had expected. The voice came nearer along with footsteps.

“Varric Tethras: Rogue, storyteller, and occasionally unwelcome tagalong.”

“Are you a dwarf?”

“No I’m a Qunari. Big horned fellow, taller than you. Of course I am a dwarf. What kind of a question is that?” Varric replied sarcastically, if irritated. He had never been mistaken for anything else honestly and here was a mage who was asking the obvious.

“Because your voice is… lower than what most people would sound, and you do not sound like a child,” Raine replied sheepishly.

At that point, she felt someone grab her shoulders once more as the other male voice spoke.

“You’re still brimming with magic even after our fight. Is there some reason for it?” Solas said as he studied the woman. Despite his aversion to touch, especially from a stranger, Solas gently took the woman’s hand to his face, bringing it up for her to feel his ears.

“I am Solas, an elven apostate mage,” he introduced himself as Raine’s hands moved over his face to feel his features. Varric and Cassandra stared in silence at the odd spectacle.

“Master Tethras, do not feel insulted by her question… and from the look on your face Seeker I suspect you have been unaware about one very important fact about our saviour here,” Solas said, a soft smile cracking upon his features as he realised and marvelled at the individual before him.

“And what fact would that be Solas?” Cassandra asked, somewhat annoyed but curious.

“That she is someone of great magical skill and has been using it to assist her… because dear Seeker, she is completely blind.” 


	2. Even without sight, one must fight...

 

The group slowly made their way towards the forward camp, with Raine introducing herself along the way. As the group reached the forward camp, they were greeted by Chancellor Roderick and Leliana… although the meeting was far from pleasant. Raine said nothing as the seeker and chancellor argued. The closer to the Breach she was, the easier it was to “see” things with her magic… but it made her feel ill. It hurt to look at the tear in the sky. Her mark hurt.

 _Come on now Raine, stay strong and stop being a wimp. This isn’t going to be like the circle but you have a job to do here_ , she thought to herself before she realized there was a long bit of silence. Leliana cleared her throat realizing that Raine had not been paying attention to the conversation at all.

“Lady Trevelyan, would you like to take the mountainous route or go along with our soldiers through the valley towards the Temple?” the Left Hand asked patiently. She had shared a glance with Cassandra earlier, but the Seeker had just nodded her head in quiet approval of the young mage.

“You expect us to place our lives in the hands of someone who cannot even be bothered to pay any attention to anything around her!” Roderick roared in frustration at the mage. Raine backed away, nearly tripping over an uneven stone but Solas caught her sleeve.

She was scared, and Roderick smirked on the inside. “And a coward too! I repeat, she should be sent to Val Royale to be put on trial!”

Raine looked as if she was about to cry, but her hand crackled, sending a searing pain through it once more as she yelled, swaying from the pain. She gripped tightly onto someone near her… who turned out to be Solas. The elven apostate frowned at the progress. This was not exactly inspiring confidence, but he could hardly blame the girl for trembling.

“It would be wise of you to make a decision quickly. Whichever you choose, we’ll go with you. You have the mark.”

Composing herself, Raine nodded her head at Solas’ words as she gathered her strength.

“We’ll follow the troops,” she stammered out. It was a safer option. The more people were around, the better sense she had. She could see their energies, and knowing where people could move to helped her build a mental image of the terrain. The footprints of their passing made it easier for her to transverse the terrains.

There were voices around her as they progressed. As the group made their way to the Temple, Raine could feel the Fade oozing into the terrain… it made things clearer. Cassandra had taken point, shield at ready to face anything they might encounter. Varric and Solas followed by the young mage’s side, providing assistance where needed.

 As they reached the plateau where the conclave had been held, she heard silence as everyone took a moment to take in what they saw. Moments of death trapped in time, held in place by lyrium spires; growths from the ground arching towards the epicenter of the explosion. Even Cassandra was taken aback by the gruesome sights. It was one thing to hear reports from the scouts, another to see it in person. Half a body, twisted in screaming agony, forever preserved in time by lyrium and magic.

For Raine, it was an entirely different scene. She couldn’t hear the people screaming, but the echoes of what had transpired remained. Over and over she caught sight of people, spirits screaming in pain as the energy from the blast surged through them, immolating them and trapping the essence of their death in time and space. Where the others saw bodies, Raine saw a reenactment of the death of various people, over and over again. The ground itself, was visually clear enough for her to see, but even then, it hurt to look at it. The Fade blended together with reality, creating an impossibility of a land that should not exist. All the sights made a sick knot in her stomach as she tried to press forward. She was vaguely aware that her body was trembling… and she felt dizzy.

“Uh Seeker, I think it’ll be good if we moved through here quickly,” Varric’s voice sounded from beside Raine. The footsteps ahead came to a stop.

“Maker’s breath! Solas, form a chair.” Strong hands swept Raine up off her feet as she found herself carried towards the temple and placed on the ground. She was thankful for that. Inside the temple, it was more Fade than the real world, but it still hurt.  

Elven hands moved over her features.

“How is she?” Cassandra’s voice came.

“I’m all right Seeker,” Raine spoke, surprised that her voice was trembling. She wasn’t scared, but she definitely felt ill at this point. The impossible world was getting to her. It wasn’t just the mark now, but everything about her. Everything pulsed with the touch of the Fade… but at least there were no longer any dying visages of people. In here, time seemed to have resumed. Those who had been killed were not reenacting their deaths.

“Then we must move quickly.” The worry was evident in the elven apostate’s voice. Raine was aware that both Solas and Cassandra held her up as they walked her towards the centre of the Templer where the Breach had began. She knew she probably wasn’t looking good, but she tried her best to walk.

“You made it!” Leliana’s voice rang out. As they neared the epicenter, they heard more voices. Raine’s, Divine Justina’s and someone else. It seemed she had thwarted a plan of sorts but Raine wasn’t able to process the words. The Breach up close was hard to ignore. Something so bright and brilliant to a blind person.

“The breach is closed albeit temporarily. We’ll have to reopen it and close it properly, but it’ll attract the attention of things on the other side,” Solas explained.

“Demons,” the Seeker’s voice hissed in disgust.

“Raine, focus on closing the rift, we’ll handle the rest. Varric, keep Raine safe,” Cassandra said as Solas picked up her hand, aiming it at the direction of the Breach. She could feel her connection with it strengthening and a tear into the Fade occurring. As the rift opened, Raine felt herself growing stronger at least. The knot in her stomach vanished as she felt the familiarity of the Fade… the proper Fade. Not that strange facsimile that existed between the real world and the peak. She drew upon the magic, muttering a quiet prayer under her lips. If the maker was listening, she hoped that he would give her the strength to close the Breach.

She felt the presence through the magic before it emerged. It was strong, angry and so full of itself that when it came out. A pride demon. It was strong. She saw its power, shimmering off its big bulk. The mage reached out towards the demon with her magic as she saw it. To her surprise, she could feel its animalistic mind. Pain, panic, it didn’t want to be here. Yet curiosity had drawn it through the tear. It felt like an angry child, almost… if it wasn’t so foreign.

This was something she had never felt before, this closeness to a demon. For a moment, she felt something else there… courage perhaps, but it flickered and was gone. The demon drew its arm back, summoning forth whips of electricity that crackled through the cavern, moving to sweep towards the soldiers who were attacking it.

STOP! Raine cried knowing its futility. For a brief moment, the demon hesitated, standing still before it shook its head and resumed its strike. But that brief moment was all the soldiers had needed to move slightly out of its range. The whip however, slapped one of the soldiers aside, where they landed with a thump.

She found tears coming down her cheek. She was terrified… she didn’t like people getting hurt… or spirits… or demons for that matter but there was no choice. The only way to stop it was to close the breach and she focused on it. Every chance she got, she concentrated on it, imagining reality knitting itself back together. Being able to read the demon’s movements helped… She moved fluidly about it, picking spots she knew it wasn’t paying attention to. That bought her time.

As the final tear was fixed, energy surged through the portal catching Raine within it… and then darkness.


	3. In dreams the Blind has sight...

Dark shapes shifted in her dreams as she walked through the Fade within her dreams, creatures moving at the corner of her eye as she travelled through the dream forest. She knew where she was, back home in the lands of House Trevelyan, before she had been taken to the Circle. She had spent many days riding through the forests with her siblings on horseback and had been learning how to ride when her skills surfaced. It wasn’t long after that that the templars came for her.

Still she enjoyed the scenery. It was one of the memories she held dearly, for it was a memory of the world of sight that had been denied to her for the past decade. Never had her dreams been this clear though and she suspected briefly that it had something to do with the Mark on her hand. It made her inner sanctuary all the more enjoyable, hearing the sounds of wildlife and the wind through the trees.

Coming across a river, she knelt down beside it, gazing at her own reflection in the Fade waters. While in the real world the scars had healed with magic, here in the Fade, her face was marred with the memory of what had happened. It didn’t bother her as much as it did when it had happened. She had come to terms and moved on.

The sound of movement nearby caught her attention and a fairly large wolf watched her from the side. There were times when spirits visited her sanctuary. There was a spirit of compassion that had taken on the form of a blue jay that stopped by, but this stranger was new.

“Hello,” Raine said with a smile at the wolf. Here she was safe, and sure of her own abilities. Much as it was the Fade, it was her dreamscape and she was in-charge. Here she could fly and be free.

The wolf said nothing as it came closer, studying her briefly although when she made to touch it, it backed away. There was a certain oldness in its eyes… an old being perhaps? Still she did not fear it even though she knew she should be. She had not sensed any form of malice from it and she passed it off as a curious being and nothing else.

“This is my sanctuary and you’re welcome to stay. I’ll be gone when I awake but you’re welcome to use it. It’s just my home lands from before,” she said to the wolf. She knew it could understand her; all creatures and beings which came to the sanctuary could.

The wolf said nothing, staring at Raine a little more and Raine just turned her attention to the river, listening to it as she relaxed.

The waking world slowly crept into the dreams; the sounds of chatter from people, of animals moving.

“It’s time for me to go. I hope I can see you again,” Raine said before she awakened.

It was dark. It always was. Raine felt about realizing she was on a bed. Where had she been? That was right, at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Her whole body ached and she moved to sit up, taking care as she reached out to feel her immediate surroundings. The bed was next to a wall. That was handy. Somewhere she could feel a heat source. The sounds of chatter were muffled but present and it must be day time. She strained her ears and heard no birds. It was hard to guess the time then.

As she pulled herself up, she glanced at her left hand. The Fade still oozed from the crack where the Mark was. The world around it was brighter… and she could sense more with it now. How strange that it enhanced her abilities as a mage despite the pain it had caused. Perhaps she could use it to her advantage. Casting her magic, she could make things out.

Things that were alive were the easiest to pick up on. Things that had been once alive was a bit trickier but it gave her a good enough sense of where things were… and things that had never been alive… those were the hardest to sense. She was effectively blind amongst those. Ores, metals, unless Fade-touched, where invisible to her. Below the floorboards, she knew a small family of rats lived there. Outside the hut, there were people. The hut itself was small, old. Its previous inhabitant had loved it, and the hut had loved it back.

A presence approached and she glanced towards the door expectantly. An elven presence graced the room, although Raine was surprised when the other dropped something in surprise.

“Are you all right?” Raine asked from her position. It was a stupid question. Even if the other wasn’t, what could she do?

“You’re awake! Thank the Maker. Lady Cassandra said that she was to be informed at once when you awakened. At once!” The elven lass said before scurrying off without closing the door.

Raine sat at the edge of the bed quietly for a while, before she figured she could try to move. There was no staff around for her to use… none that she could sense. Nothing of that shape was around. She got up slowly, taking small tiny steps towards the door.

While she was aware that there was a number of people gathered, she had not expected them to suddenly cry, “It’s the Herald!”

Raine just smiled at them as she made her way through the mob. It helped that they kept the path clear and each step she took was careful. It would do her no good to fall and from the sounds of things, no one knew of her handicap. She preferred it that way, even if it made her look ridiculous at times. No matter how soft a whisper was, her ears caught it.

“Is she all right? She’s moving slowly.” “Probably still hurt from the blast. Poor thing was right in the middle of it, but she’s alive. That’s more than what we can say for others.”

“It’s the Herald! Oh Maker… she’ll bring us luck!”

Familiar footsteps could be heard coming closer to her… or familiar enough. She knew it was one of her allies but at the moment, she was hard-pressed to figure out who until the other spoke.

“Greetings Herald,” Solas’ voice rang out beside her. “It’s good to see that you’re awake. Seeker Cassandra requests your presence.” He took her arm gently, guiding her at a slow enough pace that she wouldn’t trip, but one that didn’t seem as if she had a problem.

Not that others weren’t getting suspicious. Her ears caught words exchanged that something could be wrong with her, but she ignored it. It hurt, but it would go away in time. It was her reality as she knew it and she could only hope that when others found out, they would not treat her that differently.

“We’re back in Haven and you’ve been asleep for three days,” Solas explained as they headed towards the main building.

“I can sense the Breach has stopped expanding… and thank you Solas. I’m not sure how I could have made my way to find Cassandra without help.”

“Nonsense, it is merely doing a duty to someone who has saved us all.”

There was a brief silence as they continued making their way.

“You’re doing something to help me see aren’t you?” Raine accused kindly.  With Solas’ hand around her arm, she could pick up the edges better and there was a slight bit of magical aura around the elven apostate.

“And sharp-eyed…” Solas cringed at his choice of words. “I apologise for my words, but yes. I thought this might help you.”

“I do appreciate it. Thank you,” Raine said with a smile.

Harsh tones and words flew across the courtyard, causing Raine to pull back a little out of reflex. She had no desire to go to an area where people were openly having such vocal conflicts. It terrified her, and she leaned close to Solas unknowingly. The elven apostate pulled away quietly, and Raine left it at that. She would get help in walking but comfort, perhaps Solas wasn’t the kind to. Either way she would not press it and clenched her fists quietly as they neared the shouters.

**Author's Note:**

> It's mostly as an exercise in describing things from Raine's point of view as I imagine how she would process things. Of course I'm "cheating" some by using a mage who can use her magic to "see" and "sense" some things, but only those which are Fade related.
> 
> I have no idea how it will go though.


End file.
